1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a gas storage system and, more particularly, to a hydrogen gas storage system for storing hydrogen gas by cryo-adsorption on high surface materials.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
A hydrogen vehicle is generally defined as a vehicle that employs hydrogen as its primary source of power for locomotion. A primary benefit of using hydrogen as a power source is that it uses oxygen from the air to produce only water vapor as exhaust. The most efficient use of hydrogen involves the use of fuel cells and electric motors instead of a traditional engine. Hydrogen reacts with oxygen inside the fuel cells, which produces electricity to power the motors.
One primary area of research of hydrogen vehicles involves hydrogen storage to increase the range of hydrogen vehicles while reducing the weight, energy consumption, and complexity of the storage systems. Thus, the efficient storage of hydrogen is a necessary prerequisite for the mass introduction and consumer acceptance of hydrogen-propelled vehicles. Current storage technologies, such as compressed gaseous hydrogen (CGH2) or liquid hydrogen (LH2), pose a limitation on the driving range of such vehicles. Solid-state storage systems, such as classical or complex metal hydrides, for example, FeTi2, NaAlH4 and/or the like, might be a viable alternative, but present heat management challenges for fundamental thermodynamic reasons. In terms of storage capacity, these compounds typically deliver lower system hydrogen capacities than conventional technologies, such as CGH2 and LH2.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a new and improved hydrogen storage system for use with hydrogen-powered vehicles, where the hydrogen storage tank system is operable to efficiently store increased amounts of hydrogen.